IIMC employees tell of fear and suspicion during pay cut, furlough talks (WA)

Hospital District Commissioner Keri Talbott said she received 12 e-mails and three phone calls from employees, telling of the tension at the medical center that began in early September after a committee led by commissioners J. Michael Edwards and Michael Roger began studying ways to cut the budget deficit.

Several employees read letters or spoke Wednesday, outlining their concerns. They described an unsettling work environment in which patient care was affected. Tina Barnes, the medical center's insurance specialist, said Davis found a blood clot in her leg that a doctor had missed. "I was (med)flighted off. I thought I was going to lose my leg," she said. Receptionist Juan Unpingco said doctors, but not the rank and file, were consulted regarding furloughs. "We feel like we're in the dark all the time," another employee said. "The suspicion has divided us."